


Nightbreed - Drabble Collection

by zosimos (trismegistus)



Series: Nightbreed [14]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:13:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 18,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2186055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trismegistus/pseuds/zosimos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collecting all the Nightbreed short fic I've posted via tumblr & Typetrigger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. haunting melody

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter is one individual fic, most are short enough to not warrant an individual entry.

It was bitterly cold. The sky was clear, devoid of clouds, a carpet of bright glittering stars was thrown across the land. Roy Mustang lifted his head as he looked at the sky, his breath tiny puffs of steam in the air. He had been shocked, the first time he had seen his breath fog - it took a truly cold night for that phenomenon to occur. Edward had laughed at him, balling snow in his bare hands and flinging it at Roy’s head while he was distracted. When they were out in it, the cold did not seem to affect Edward at all. He ran barefoot in the snow, his breath coming in large, hearty fogs of steam, slowed down by the weather not in the slightest. It was a marked change from the whinging, cover-hogging pitiful ball of fur that refused to budge from the bed. 

And what a bed it was. Roy had not seen a bed bigger in his life, a huge, four-poster wooden thing that sat square in the center of the simple, one-room cabin. The building was in the middle of nowhere - they had left the car parked in the middle of the road, and had to walk nearly two hours in thigh-high snow to find it, half-buried in snow drifts in the center of the clearing. The cabin did not lack for amenities, it had hot water and a telephone, a kitchen, a bed, and a magnificent fireplace. Roy had stood in the doorway, impressed, while Edward had dropped their bags inside the door.

The cabin belonged to Winry’s coven, and it showed. There was a bookshelf full of magical tomes in languages Roy was not even sure actually existed, along with a shelf full of jars marked in runes. There was a giant yellow sticky note on that shelf that had swirled to life and read “DO NOT TOUCH (this means YOU, Ed).” Roy had started when the letters swirled and faded out, and Edward had made an exasperated noise. “I wasn’t gonna fuck with her witchy shit anyway,” he huffed.

They were there to help settle the tab that Edward had run up. Winry had waved a sheet of paper in Roy’s face that was almost the length of his forearm while Edward stared out the window, his chin in hand. Winry needed some petals of an ancient plant in the coven’s secret garden, out here in the woods in the middle of nowhere - the catch was that the plant could only be harvested by the light of a winter’s moon, by one whose hands were tainted with blood.

"So you see my problem," Winry said, her hands on her hips, one finger tapping thoughtfully. "If Ed does this, I’ll wipe the tab clean, I’ll even throw in the use of the cabin for a week or so."

Edward had not flinched at the implication. “Three weeks,” he said, holding up three fingers.

Winry scowled. “Two weeks, and you owe me too much to be haggling, Elric.”

"Two weeks it is," Edward said with a smug grin, and Roy could smack him for that grin.

The problem was, of course, transportation - (“I could always call up Sheska, have her send a transportation spell-” “NO. NEVER AGAIN.”) - Roy was hesitant to ask where Edward had even gotten a car from, but there were some things he was better off not knowing, anyway. 

There were great heavy curtains that kept out the daylight, and a huge ancient bathtub that they could both fit easily in, and more besides. It was a wonderful fit. They slept during the day, Edward curled around Roy, never once complaining about Roy’s cooler body temperature, buried under mounds of blankets and quilts. Edward had been leery of having sex there, certain that somehow they could be seen - Roy had murmured into his ear, fangs tracing down his neck, very lightly drawing blood - “so what?”

Roy found hex bags in the trunk when he was searching for towels, he had yelped as they burned his hand, leaving fire-red brands across his palm. Edward wrapped the bags in towels and stashed them in a corner, and after an emergency phone call to Winry (“it’s four in the fuckin’ morning, Ed!”) they ran his hands under boiled holy water. The water still burned Roy, but those burns healed instantly, sealing over the branded flesh and returning whole. Edward stewed about the irresponsibility of witches, and Roy had to remind him twice that they usually warded against vampires, not welcomed them.

Edward truly loved the snow, though. Here, out in the middle of nowhere he was able to run free, tail held high as he dodged through the trees. Roy stood out on the porch, warm in his many layers and watched the flash of gold disappear into the darkened wood. It was totally silent out here, compared the the city that he had grown used to living in. But not truly silent - the sepulchral hooting of owls, the whistle of wind through bare branches, the soft crunch of snow falling from the trees - the night was alive with noise, it was just a different background music than Roy was used to.

And then, cutting across the breathless cold of night, the notes held long and haunting, the mournful howl of a wolf.

Roy Mustang smiled, holding the door open as the golden wolf raced across the snow as the last echoes of Edward’s song faded into the night.


	2. left behind

Edward stared at the door to their bedroom. It was closed, as it had been for days. There was no change there, and Edward laid his head back on his folded arms, staring silently at the ceiling. The apartment was quiet, almost too quiet - he could hear the background hum of electricity, the refrigerator running in the kitchen, and the occasional movement from the apartments above. He could turn always turn on the television, but every time he rolled to look at it he would see the blinking green light on Rian’s game system. Edward did not look at the television stand, but kept staring at the crack in the ceiling near the bedroom door.

His stomach hurt. When was the last time he’d eaten? Days, probably. He was to the point of picturing his meat raw and bloody, torn warm from the carcass and if he did not eat soon, he might go a bit crazy. He himself had helped put down a few werewolves who had gone too far from the blood sickness. He could not afford that route himself. He sighed, and shifted, sitting up on his elbows.

Daylight was creeping in under the curtains. It was cold and bright, and when he pushed aside one curtain it made his eyes hurt. How long had it been since he ventured outside during the day? Usually he would spend this time curled in bed, snuggled tight against Roy. Edward let the curtain fall, and could not restrain his urge to glance once more at the bedroom door. 

Despite his best efforts, it had come to this. It was his fault, all of it - if he had been quicker on the uptake, if he had realized that they were being led into a cunning trap designed to kill them both - but he had not caught on. Winry felt terrible for her part in it, there was that small relief that she had not known of the coven’s plots, but she had made her apology in absentia, over the phone lines. She didn’t even dare to be seen near them. They were not meant to survive this, and they had. Edward did not know if it was worse living in ignorance of the plot against them, or now knowing that there were Breeds out there who wanted them - who wanted him, specifically - dead.

The latch clicked a little when he opened the door. He had hesitated, but it was the middle of the day. Roy slept like the dead, it took a full scale frontal assualt to even wake him during his sleeping hours, and that was if Edward wanted to put the time and effort into rousing him. Edward paused in the open door, as his eyes adjusted from the wan light of the living room to the almost total darkness that the bedroom existed in. Just the way Roy needed it - daylight was not fatal to vampires (another in a long line of false mythology laid carefully down over the centuries by vampires wishing to throw hunters from their trail) but it did give him a terrible headache. Fortunately Edward’s eyes were just as adapted to the night as a vampire’s, for a similar reason - night was the best time for hunting prey. 

Roy was lying on his side, curled in toward the center of the bed. Edward grinned despite himself, he slept with one arm tucked under his head, and the other -

\- the other was thrown over the blanket-covered lump where Edward should be.

Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, Edward moved silently into the dark room, in search of his wallet and keys. The metallic tang of blood was heavy in the air, it cloaked most of the other scents in the room. He did not linger on the scents, he knew their origin intimately. He had seen the summoned beast tear Rian’s throat out - the snarl built in his throat almost automatically, and despite his best efforts, a growl escaped him. It was a terrifically inhuman noise coming from a human throat, and Edward froze. 

Roy did not move, or even shift in the slightest. However, the blanket-covered lump shifted slightly. Edward swallowed, but Rian did not move further. Collecting his wallet and keys, Edward crept out of the room and shut the door behind him, before leaning against it and swallowing hard again. Scrubbing his hand over his eyes he fought gamely against the burning in his throat. When he felt like this all he wanted to do was shift, to put his head down and paws in the dirt and run without thought, to surrender to his baser nature and vanish into the labyrinth of the city. But he was stronger than that, Edward knew that he was. He ran the water in the kitchen sink and, for want of a cup, leaned his head down and drank straight from the faucet. The little voice he had been fighting against for days was back in his head, taunting him quietly that the room had smelled like sex and what did Roy need with him, now that he had sired another vampire? Edward almost broke the spigot turning the water off as hard as he did.

What was the worst, the absolute worst was that he couldn’t even hate either of them for it. If Roy had not done what he did Rian would be dead. Edward could not wish that on the teen no matter what, he himself had grown to care for the kid over the past year. Rian was almost like the kid brother he had never had, there had been no younger cubs in the pack, he and Al had been the youngest, so he never really got to look after the pups. And it was Edward’s fault that he got killed, it was Edward’s fault that his relationship was crumbling around him and he really had nothing left.

Edward gripped the counter and looked over at the table, where his cell phone lay next to the junk mail he’d brought in the day before. He flipped the old phone open and looked at the last call received and then looked back through the kitchen to the closed bedroom door. He turned his back on the door as he hit redial and put the phone against his ear. “This is Elric,” he said, his mouth dry when he heard the other line pick up. “I think I will take you up on that offer after all.”


	3. flash of lightning

Edward spends a lot of time on four legs in the winter. Roy doesn’t begrudge him that, he’s warmer in fur, and there’s something really strangely comforting about laying next to a big furry roaster. However, it does make conversations particularly one-sided, as Edward can’t wrangle a wolf’s vocal cords into something resembling human speech. Roy often doesn’t have much to talk about so they’ll lapse into comfortable silence, Roy on the couch with a book and Edward sprawled beside him, his head on Roy’s thigh.

He shifts back to go to sleep in Roy’s arms. Roy buries his face in Edward’s throat and Edward will laugh, his voice husky with disuse. Roy strokes his fingers through Edward’s hair and asks him, sleepily, as the first cold rays of light sneak in through a crack in the blackout curtains, to tell him a story.

Edward lifts his head a bit from the pillow, brow furrowed in confusion. He forgets, that Roy has no past and no memories. He has ideas and concepts but no stories and no history, and he loves every little bit he can get Edward to relay. Edward settles back down next to him, brushing his hand over Roy’s cheek. “Did you know,” Edward’s voice is soft, and conspiratorial. “That people are descended from wolves?”

Roy smiles. Edward has told him the tale before, one of the many bits of lore passed down through the werewolf tribes. He lets his eyes drift closed as Edward relates the tale of the white wolf whose tears birthed a new world. 

He is asleep long before Edward finishes the tale.


	4. a whisper on the wind

Winry hummed slightly to herself as she flipped the sign on the door. It was later than usual for the store to open, but most of the clientele came in after-hours anyway. The tiny little new age shop that sat tucked between a deli and a funeral parlor had two very different sets of regulars - ones who kept regular business hours and shopped for things like token talismans and books on making people fall in love … and the real customers. The real customers knew when to call to get an order of dusted faerie wings, or an ancient grimoire in a language that didn’t exist in history books. That was the real purpose of her store. The others? Just extra cash in the pocket.

It had been a good night. She’d gone out, for the first time in months, to a bar instead of tagging along (or worse, playing clean-up crew) on one of Edward’s many jobs. It was nice to get out, stretch her legs, flirt with the bartender and then go back to the hotel room of a very hot blond werewolf and have a very dirty one night-stand. She smirked a little, wiggling her butt as she straightened books on a shelf. It was good to know that she still had it - it was very easy to feel ignored when she hung out with gay guys all the time.

Although Sheska was right, she DID have a type. Werewolves weren’t hard to identify, once you knew what to look for. The right ones always had this almost puppy-like quality in human form, and it was quite adorable. They could be big, tall, gruff men or small, lean and sprightly but they all had this air of an overexcited puppy. Especially the one from last night, with large earnest eyes, he was quite the gentleman until they got back to the hotel room. She sighed a bit, perhaps she should have given him her phone number. She wouldn’t mind another night like that.

The bell on the front door tinkled, and Winry straightened. The front door was spelled so that it could be opened by certain people any time of the day, whether or not the door itself was locked, and she had yet to flip the sign to open. A familiar bit of blond hair could been seen over the top of the shelf and Winry smiled despite herself. “Hey, Ed,” she called. “Isn’t it early for you to be out?”

Edward Elric stuck his head around the bookcase. “You’re not even open yet, that’s unusual,” he said, and then sniffed the air. A strange expression passed over his face and then he smirked, clearly amused. “Got lucky, huh?”

The very thing that Winry had been extolling in her mind came right back around to bite her in the ass. “Werewolves,” she said haughtily “Don’t seem to know how to keep out of other’s business.” She brushed past Ed and stalked toward the display counter where the register was.

"Can’t help it." Edward jammed his hands into the pocket of the long coat he wore. "Pheromones in the air, anyone with half a nose knows-" he trailed off at the icy blue stare he got and he shrugged without removing his hands from his pockets. "Whatever, I got laid last night too. It was a good night."

"I didn’t need to know that," Winry muttered. "Why are you here? It’s almost noon. Shouldn’t you be in bed?"

Edward did seem remarkably bright-eyed for someone who usually slept during the day. “Got a job,” he said. “I’m headed south for a few days, Mustang already knows about it, he’s not happy but it’s safer if I take this one on my own.” His expressive gold eyes narrowed. “It’s a wolf.”

"You’ve earned a name for yourself hunting other wolves, don’t see why this is so different," Winry said. She pulled her stool out and perched on it. "So why are you here?"

"I think this one’s possessed," Edward said. "And I want to cover my bases. You got any twilight ichor in?"

Winry frowned. “You just cleared your tab a few weeks ago, you really want to start this again?”

Edward cocked an eyebrow. “Oh come on, you like having me in your debt. Then you get to boss me around and stuff.”

"Yeah, and get my ass chewed out for letting a vampire and a werewolf stay in the coven’s getaway cabin," Winry muttered as she rifled through the locked cabinet beneath the cash register. "You’re in luck, I’ve got a single bottle left." She put it on the display case and Edward scooped it up gratefully. "You owe me big, though."

"Sure." Edward tucked the small bottle away in his pocket. "Since we’re piling on the tab anyway, if I’m not back tomorrow will you check on Roy? If you’re not too busy with your new boytoy or anything like that." Edward smirked when Winry scowled at him. 

"New boytoy my ass, get out of my store, Elric." Edward waggled his eyebrows and she pointed to the door. "NOW. Or I will throw you out by your scruff." Still grinning, Edward ducked his head and headed toward the door. "And flip my sign, too!" Winry called as she heard the door chime again.

She set her chin in her hand and sighed deeply. _Werewolves._ She couldn’t invoke a nastier hex.


	5. a life of lies

Rian yawned a bit, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. He hadn’t figured on getting tired - he didn’t think vampires would be able to get tired, but it turned out that there was simply a lot of lore that was pure fiction. He didn’t burst into flames in the sun (even if it did give him a killer fucking migraine), he didn’t fall dead asleep the moment the sun rose, and a stake to the heart would just make him mad. He still loved garlic. Holy water - hah. Such a different world than what he was expecting.

He shifted slightly in his perch and suppressed a second yawn. A chill breeze cut through the streets and he shivered, tucking the end of his scarf into his coat to keep it from flapping. He had volunteered for the last shift before daylight, and now all he could think about was slinking home and climbing into bed, crawling under Roy’s outstretched arm and burrowing beneath him. His nose pinked slightly at the thought, he still wasn’t used to the casual intimacy that Roy showed him. But Roy was his sire, and he figured that was to be expected.

And then there was Ed. Rian scrubbed his hand over his eyes again and tried not to think about how warm inside Edward made him feel. Just the other night he had gone to sleep on Ed in his wolf form, warm and comfortable as they watched a crappy sci-fi movie on in the wee hours of the morning. Edward didn’t have to accept him the way he did, he had wormed himself right in the middle of his relationship with Roy, but Edward - he tolerated Rian. Maybe a fair bit more than tolerated, although Rian wasn’t sure how he was supposed feel. But he liked Ed, he liked goofing off with him playing video games, or watching the odd crappy movie (Ed usually dozed off about halfway through, making a very large and effective pillow for Rian), or even when he was teaching Rian how to shoot a shotgun or dodge a few hand-to-hand moves.

It was a strange, cozy family he had stumbled into. Rian wet his lips and instantly regretted it in the cold air, and then sighed deeply.

Surveillance work was boring. He was left alone with his thoughts and a mostly-blank building facade - most people going in and out weren’t going to be doing so at four in the fucking morning. He could be home right now, in the nice warm apartment, playing a video game while Roy researched Edward’s latest job and Edward bitched about pizza places not opening until noon. Rian smiled despite himself and stretched his arms over his head. Ed owed him for this. 

The problem was that breeds moved at all hours of the night. And this particular breed had been eluding Ed for the better part of the year. She was a shifter - not a were, like Ed, but someone who bound bits of their soul in animal talismans. Her favorite form was a crow, and once she shifted she was gone. Edward - who had tracked Rian halfway across the city by his nose alone (in his human form, nonetheless, he didn’t cheat and shift to wolf form) - could lose her scent in a heartbeat when she shifted. It was a trait of all shifters, their scents changed to go with the creature they became, and when they shifted back their scent was slightly different as well. It made them nearly impossible to track, and thus Edward’s quandary. 

But he had been tipped off. One of his connections, a former detective who still had a decent network of spooks had traced the chick here, to the only 24-hour banking center in town. Most people weren’t even aware that it WAS a bank … that’s because it catered to a clientele a bit more unusual than most institutions Roy had taken the first shift of the evening, and Rian had relieved him later on. Ed had friends who would watch the place during the day - he was calling in a lot of favors to nail this chick, and he had yet to elucidate his reasons behind his intense hatred for her. 

Ed was Ed, though, and all he had to do was ask and Rian would gratefully assist. Ed - and Roy too, as his sire - had given Rian a roof over his head, some goodies and gadgets - and most importantly, they had saved his life.

Rian yawned again despite himself. He thought of that warm bed, and Roy’s waiting arms, and smiled.


	6. the winds of change

Edward loped along, setting an easy pace that he knew the other wolf could follow easily. It had been far too long since he had gotten to do this, running through the trees in the snow, the cold winter air burning in his lungs and the scent of fresh prey on the horizon. He slowed his pace slightly, head cocked slightly back to see the other golden wolf break off at his glance, heading around to cut off their prey.

It was odd, but he couldn’t quite relax around his brother. It had been years since he had seen Alphonse but it felt like only a few days had passed - his brother was taller than he was now, broad of shoulder and with deep golden eyes that were shuttered off from him, so that he could not read the emotions lurking within. It was unsettling and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it - but out here in the fresh cold sunshine it seemed as though those worries were a thousand miles away.

He raised his head to the air and took a deep breath. They could communicate without words, with just a glance - and he hunkered down against the snow, trying in vain to mask his brilliant golden fur against the blinding white of sun-drenched snow. It was just like they were cubs again, hunting for their only food.

Truthfully, Alphonse was the last person that Edward expected to turn up on his usual circuit. He ran into Russell more often than not - Russell who had shoved him up against the wall in a dirty old bar and kissed him like he used to, full of desperation, but Edward had to shove him away and flee. Russell didn’t quite get that Edward had moved on, he didn’t accept that Roy had replaced him, especially since Roy was a vampire, not a proper breed like a shifter. 

But this last time that Edward had ducked into the bar it wasn’t Russell who swept him up into a great bear hug, and proclaimed “BROTHER!” into his ear so loudly that Edward yelped in surprise. Alphonse had gotten free of the pack - or maybe they let him go, a great big adult werewolf with sandy blond hair and wide puppy-dog eyes. Edward couldn’t shake the feeling that Alphonse had been looking for him, but that wasn’t quite fair. Of course Alphonse had been looking for him, they were brothers, weren’t they?

In the clearing below, several white-tail deer grazed, nibbling at the few sprouts of dried grass that pushed through the carpet of white. Edward hunkered down and resisted licking his chops. Fresh venison - it had been so, so long. Roy would make fun of him, after he gave Edward a long disgusted look for coming home covered in blood and gore - but there was little else as excellent as the fresh bloody meat still steaming from the bone.

Edward watched the two pointed gold ears and tail as Alphonse made his way around the clearing. He had his brother back, and they were working as a team. He had a comfortable relationship with Roy; they had their pet gofer to get things done - and even as tiring as it was fending off Russell’s slightly desperate advances he had Russell as well. That wasn’t even counting Winry’s support network. He had gone from a solo project to an entire network of people in the course of just a few years, and it was unsettling and quite awesome at the same time.

But still, Edward reasoned as he caught Alphonse’s eye from across the clearing. It felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.


	7. desperate plea

It was almost dusk by the time that Edward returned to the apartment. His jeans were torn, his left leg still bloody although the skin beneath had healed quickly. He looked a lot better than he felt, actually - all this tension strung tight in his muscles, leaving his entire focus off-kilter. It had been a long trek home, especially by daylight - he couldn’t run free under the sun, that had been robbed of him by those nuisances at animal control. Which was probably for the best, he couldn’t exactly keep a key to the apartment in wolf form, and a naked guy trying to jimmy a lock would warrant another call to the cops.

He let himself in and shut the door, taking a deep breath and holding it. The apartment smelled like Roy and Rian, it was home. The shades were drawn of course, as vampires were not fond of the light, but the curtains in the main room were thinner than the blackout curtains in the bedroom and some daylight still filtered through. It smelled a bit musty indoors, as it often did in the winter, and Edward smiled a bit to himself. He was home.

No food in the fridge - of course. Edward was back to being the only one who actually ate food - if he ordered a pizza Rian would tuck into it like he hadn’t eaten in his entire young life, but Roy tended to pass unless the meals were more palatable. Edward grabbed a beer from the six-pack and tossed the bottle cap in the mostly-empty trash.

He drained half the bottle without pause, and then tilted his head back. He could smell them both, and based on their heartbeats, neither had woken up yet. He smiled, a little sadly, and sat down at the table to finish his beer.

There were several newspapers spread about on the table, and he flipped a few disinterestedly. Winry was going to be disappointed that he wasn’t able to get any uncontaminated ogre blood, but keeping his own hide more or less intact was definitely a higher priority. Edward took another long swig of his beer and tried not to make a face at the memory. Ogre blood tasted like the grime you’d scrape off the inside of a cigarette can. 

But the job pulled in some sorely-needed cash, two flesh-eating ogres were now pulverized bits of stone in the city park, and Edward had time again to remember what it was like to have a boyfriend (and a half). 

The bottle clinked against other old bottles in the trash and Edward opened the refrigerator door again, as if the contents changed if he had turned his back long enough. Giving a noise of dissatisfaction he shut the door sadly and tried not to think about how hungry he was.

They kept the door to the bedroom closed, mostly to keep out the light and mostly because it was just in better taste when it was he and Roy with Rian sleeping on the couch. Couldn’t corrupt a minor if the minor didn’t see your dicks touching or some other such garbage. Edward hesitated at the door at that thought - technically, Rian WAS still a minor - but also, he was technically dead and he was pretty sure he was damned any which way so really, did it matter all that much?

Roy slept like the dead, literally. There was in fact one memorable instance where Edward gave him a good-morning blowjob, which had turned into a good-morning shagging session complete with orgasm, and Roy had slept through the entire thing. (Edward had never let him live this one down, but he had learned to let Roy initiate when he woke simply so he wouldn’t end up frustrated again.) He didn’t even stir when Edward closed the door behind him, but Rian did, lifting his head sleepily. 

"Hey, kiddo," Edward murmured, and Rian’s nose wrinkled as he inhaled. Edward had gotten so used to the metallic tang of blood that he forgot his clothes were covered in it.

"Y’alright?" Rian muttered with a yawn, showing his lethal fangs. Edward shucked his pants off and balled them up, hoping to mask the smell of his blood better.

"I’m fine," Edward said with a smile. "Go back to sleep."

Rian cocked his head a little, watching Edward in the near-darkness of the bedroom. He extended one hand toward him, and as he moved the covers shifted down, revealing the fact that he wasn’t wearing any pants. “Come to bed,” Rian purred drowsily.

Edward hesitated the barest moment, and then tossed his shirt onto the pile as well. He crawled into bed beside Rian, so that Rian lay between him and Roy. The young vampire smiled and nestled himself against Edward, tucking his head under Edward’s chin and sighing contentedly, before drifting back to sleep. Edward pressed his nose into Rian’s hair, and then lifted his eyes to Roy’s usually somber sleeping face. 

"I’m home," Edward said softly, one arm tight around Rian, the other reaching out over his form to Roy’s. His lover sighed a little in his sleep and turned in toward them both. Roy was smiling.


	8. and it is beautiful

Winry Rockbell frowned at the bundle of herbs that was tied above the doorframe and tsked. “That should have kept you out,” she said darkly, her hands on her hips. “What did you do?”

Roy Mustang looked from Edward, who was leaning against the glass display case next to the cash register, back to Winry. “I didn’t do anything?”

Winry cast him a look. “You’re a vampire,” she informed him, as if he was not aware of this development. “You shouldn’t be able to pass through doorways under a hex bag spelled against vampires.” She puffed air through her cheeks as she thought. “Hemlock, wormwood, thorns and petals from a wild rose.” She tapped a finger to her lips as she thought, her eyes narrowed. “Wolfsbane, too. What did I forget?”

Edward, who had been chewing on some beef jerky, lifted his head. “Hey!”

"It’s an incremental amount, wouldn’t even cause you to sneeze." Winry wasn’t looking back at him while she was deep in thought.

Roy looked at Edward, his brows furrowed. “Is this really what you called me out here for?”

"She wants to spell against vampires," Edward said with a shrug. "Figured you were the best guinea pig." He tore off another bite of his jerky and chewed it loudly. Roy sighed as Winry snapped her fingers.

"Got it," she said.

"What did you forget?" Edward asked as she took her shutter pole and fetched the bag from its inconspicuous spot. She gestured the bag and pole at Roy. "Go back outside, I want to try again."

Roy rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh and stepped outside the door, closing the shop’s door behind him. Winry plopped the bag on the counter and opened it, before rifling through the small unmarked jars that decorated the wall behind the counter. “I think you hurt Roy’s feelings,” Edward said sagely. 

"He’s a vampire, he’ll deal," she said brusquely Edward made a face, and turned around, propping his elbows on the counter. "Look, I know your folks were killed by a vampire and all, but cut Roy a break. He’s not a normal vamp."

Winry had gone still at the mention, her trembling fingers holding one of the glass vials tightly. “I thought I told you,” she said, her voice lethally calm, “to never bring that up again.”

Edward sighed deeply. “Winry-“

She slammed the jar onto the counter so hard the glass display case beneath it cracked. Edward, to his credit, didn’t flinch, but his expression had flattened somehow. “Do NOT talk about them!” 

Her specialty had always been vocal magic, and the simple virulence behind her words caused the lights to flicker sharply. Edward was unimpressed by her display, although if he had his wolf ears in human form they would be flattened back. “You don’t get to do that,” he said softly. “You don’t get to hold him accountable for something he had no part in.”

"You don’t know that." Winry’s voice had gone low. "You don’t know how long he was bonded to his sire. He could be the one-"

"It couldn’t have been more than five years," Edward retorted. "After the five year mark the bond can be severed with no repercussions Not nearly killing the other vampire."

"Why are you ARGUING with me about this?" Winry slammed the hex-bag open and dumped half the contents of the jar on top. Edward recoiled as the pungent scent of fresh garlic assaulted his delicate nose. "You don’t get to argue with me about this, you don’t understand what it’s like-"

Winry looked up at him, shamed, and then away. Edward knew precisely what she was going to say anyway, and he stared down at the bag of convenience-store jerky, his appetite gone.

"I don’t, huh," he said softly, and tossed the bag of jerky on the counter.

"Ed," Winry said. 

"No, no." Edward waved his hand in the air. "I get it. You hate all vampires, even the ones who didn’t personally wrong you. It’s cool. I think we’ll call it a night then, you can try your experiments on my boyfriend another time." He stopped in front of the door, and cast a lethal look over his shoulder at her. "Just make sure the next time you try to write it off, that you remember it’s YOUR family who is trying to kill MINE."

The door slammed behind him, and Winry propped her elbow on the counter, resting her forehead against her palm as the hot tears squeezed out from behind closed eyes. Edward couldn’t understand that her hatred of vampires stemmed from her fear of them. She could still remember the vampire crouched over their bodies, dark eyes turned red with the bloodlust. Vampires couldn’t feed from blooded witches, but that wouldn’t stop them from killing a witch who got in their way.

Edward just couldn’t understand the fear that ate away at her every time she saw Mustang. It didn’t matter if he smiled, or was kind - he was a monster, just like every other vampire out there. He was a monster, and his only purpose in this world was to kill.

And then she had to open her big stupid mouth and remind Edward that it was a witch who had betrayed his mother to the hunters; and that it was a sister coven to her own who had tried to kill Edward himself. Edward was a lot better at letting go than she was.

The bell that alerted her to the door opening made her look up sharply, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. There must have been something in her expression, because Roy inclined his head. “I’m sorry that Ed threw a fit,” he said. “Perhaps next time, try some oak leaves and maybe camphor? Oak is lethal to vampires.”

Winry blinked. “Why … why are you telling me this?”

Roy smiled. “Well for one, I figured you already knew the oak thing, it’s pretty common knowledge. The other, well - I don’t like it when Ed’s friends are uncomfortable. He doesn’t have many, and I don’t want him sacrificing his few friendships on account of me. Also, it’s a shame to waste garlic.” He bowed slightly, and then shut the door behind him.

Winry sniffed, and wiped the back of her hands over her eyes again, streaking her mascara and not really caring, before she snapped her fingers and the front door locked itself.

Maybe … maybe at least Mustang wasn’t so bad, after all.


	9. caress the darkness, kiss the light

Roy’s fingers were soft, although his nail were slightly sharp. Edward exhaled as Roy dug his fingers into Edward’s shoulders, working hard at the tightly knotted muscle. Edward was sore all over, his skin peppered with scrapes and bruises and he had wanted nothing more than to fall face-first into the mattress and sleep until the sun went down.

Roy had been waiting for him, though, half-naked in the bedroom, the last rays of sunlight tracing over his pale white skin. Edward had hesitated - things were weird, now, there was Rian - but Roy held his hand out to Edward and Edward went to him silently.

It felt almost like old times, as Roy stripped layer after layer from Edward, kissing revealed bits of skin or tracing back up to his mouth. He liked to bite, lightly, the needle-sharp tips of his fangs puncturing just enough for a bead of blood to form before Edward’s advanced healing ability sealed the wound behind it. Edward stroked his hands through Roy’s hair, standing between his legs, and asked the question that hovered about his mind since he came home. “Where’s Rian?”

"Out." Roy’s voice was thick, heavy like syrup. He encouraged Edward down to the bed, and that was when he slowly went to work on Edward’s muscles.

Oh that, that was magnificent. Edward sprawled out on his belly as Roy pressed his knuckles down deep into clenched-tight muscles. Roy gave the best massages because he wasn’t afraid of hurting Edward, and Edward felt all the tension run out of him like water.

Roy loomed over him his body pressing Edward’s down into the bed, and Edward tilted his head back as he felt Roy’s breath run down behind his ear. The fangs were out again, tracing a delicate pattern down his neck, and Edward barely had time to brace before he bit.

The sudden pain was always a bright, brief flare; but then Edward felt warm and a bit drowsy. The heat of Roy’s mouth on his neck was intoxicating, he should logically feel weaker when Roy fed from him but he never did. He did, however, feel himself going from partially to fully aroused. Roy’s scent completely surrounded him, in this bed and on top of him, and Edward felt the possessive growl building. Roy was HIS.

Finally, Roy lifted his head, drops of Edward’s blood falling along his shoulder blade as Roy exhaled. “Fuck,” Roy said reverently, combing his fingers through Edward’s long blond hair, arranging it away from the blood. “Ed, what do you DO to me?”

Edward ground his hips down into the bed. Roy still had his legs around Edward’s keeping him down on the bed. Edward licked his lips, still so warm from the memory of Roy’s mouth as he growled “Touch me again.”

Roy did not waste any time arguing with Edward, flattening both of his hands on Edward’s shoulder blades before trailing down the slope of his back with feathery-light kisses. Edward groaned again and buried his head in his arms.

He hadn’t gotten attention from Roy like this in … weeks. Months, even. Ever since Rian had been turned Roy had been concentrating on him, making sure that his fledgling sired vampire would not die if he sneezed funny. But now that Rian was stable, and was up and about - maybe things would start to get back to normal again.

Roy worked his way back up to Edward’s shoulder, and his breath still smelled like Edward’s blood when he breathed into Edward’s ear. “What do you want me to touch next?”

It was dark in the bedroom, the blackout curtains did their job well but even if they were drawn aside dusk had already fallen. Edward tilted his head forward consideringly, as Roy rubbed his fingers into Edward’s very-ticklish sides.

"I want you to shut up and fuck me," Edward said, reaching back around for Roy’s head and grabbing a handful of hair. It was awkward kissing like this, with Edward lying on his stomach but somehow they managed it.

It really had been far too long since they had done this. Edward rolled on his back, his legs in the air, the back of his knees resting on Roy’s shoulders as Roy moved. His back complained a little, and Roy was a little rough, but the tendrils of pleasure that spiked through him on every ragged thrust made it all worthwhile.

Roy’s eyes reflected the light from the living room like a cat’s, the color all wrong because it was Edward’s blood in his veins. Edward gasped as Roy shifted again, his hands tight on Edward’s hips, and the only thing Edward could do now was hold on. 

One of the best things about this position was that if he was able to hang on long enough, Edward got the full show. Roy’s jaw tightened, his eyes squeezed shut and Edward bore down on him, helping Roy along to the end. It was satisfying, the small choked groan he got as Roy fucked himself out, his ragged thrusts subsiding as he orgasmed. 

Edward lay one hand on his own neglected cock, feeling it pulse with warmth. He had barely started to stroke when Roy closed his hand over Edward’s and their eyes met. 

"Let me," Roy said, still breathing hard through his mouth.

By the time Roy let Edward come, Edward was thrashing against the bed sheets, held down only by Roy’s mouth. He howled his release to the ceiling, baying almost incoherently, and Roy laughed and nearly choked himself. Edward’s seed splattered across his face and he still laughed, resting his chin on Edward’s naked thigh and breathing in the scent of their mingled musk.

They lay like that for a while, Edward with his hands covering his face, and Roy with his face pillowed on Edward’s thigh, fingers stroking gently through Edward’s spilled seed. 

"I miss this," Edward said, his voice muffled by his hands. "I miss us."

"I’m still here," Roy said softly. "Things may be different now, but my feelings for you haven’t changed at all, Ed."

"Good." It took a lot of effort to keep his voice from shaking. "Neither have mine."


	10. uncontrollable wrath

Alphonse Elric was easily half a head taller than Roy, and could probably very easily pick him up and throw him. Roy did not have a lot of muscle, vampires were lithe, sinewy things; their strength lay in the preternatural side of the equation. However Roy did not back down an inch, almost toe to toe with the unfamiliar werewolf, his dark eyes flashing angrily.

Winry got between them fast, one hand shoving Roy back a step and he went, not because she had the actual strength to move him but because if he did not go slack when she pushed she could have hurt herself. She shoved Alphonse too, and the werewolf took a large step back, the growl still resonating in his throat.

Edward’s brother.

Roy still could not believe it. He had never really asked all that much about Edward’s youth – the werewolf was not entirely forthcoming about his life before, but did not hide it when directly asked. Obviously there was a reason that the brothers had parted ways, but Alphonse seemed, almost like Winry, to take a personal affront to the fact that Edward’s beloved was a filthy vampire.

“I won’t ask again,” Alphonse’s voice was threatening. Roy stared at him, chin jutted out defiantly as Winry put both of her hands on his chest and pushed him back further. “Where IS he, Mustang?”

“Al, calm down,” Winry said.

Roy fought the rising panic in his gut, shoved that feeling back down – it would not do him any good right now, right now he had to deal with this. Whatever Edward had gotten in to, wherever Edward was right now – he was a big boy, and Roy had faith that he would be able to handle himself.

That was a feeling that apparently Edward’s brother did not share.

“I told you,” Roy said softly, his dark eyes never leaving Alphonse’s form. “I don’t know. That’s why I, we -” he didn’t take his eyes off of the werewolf in case Alphonse would move to attack him. It was fine, he could sense Rian behind him, watching all of this with wide eyes. “That’s why we’re here.”

Winry still had both her hands on Alphonse’s chest, it was remarkable that her touch alone kept him at bay. “I know I’m going to regret siding with him at some point,” Winry said, “but you need to calm the fuck down, Al.”

Alphonse’s nose was wrinkled, it looked as those there were far too many teeth crowded in his still-human mouth. “The vampire knows something. I can smell it.”

“Yes, and you know something too,” Winry responded sharply. “Of course Roy knows something, he fucking sleeps with Ed. If there’s anything to tell about where Ed disappeared to he would know.”

“Why do you think I’m here?” Roy retorted loudly, letting them know that of course he could hear their conversation word-for-word. “Ed’s missing and I don’t have the first fucking clue as to why, of course I’d come here.”

Alphonse actually sneered at him, and Winry smacked his chest open-handed, before turning toward Roy. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Al, normally he’s not like this-”

“Yeah, normally he just tries to kill vampires,” Roy snorted. “I would hate to catch him off his game.”

“Give me an excuse, fangboy,” Alphonse snarled.

“Hey!” Winry nearly shouted. “No blood feuds in my damn cash office!”

Her shout got both of their attention, thankfully – Roy was fuming, coming close to blows. Alphonse would overpower him, but he really wanted to get a hit or three in. Edward had sung the praises of his passionate, kind younger brother. That seemed like an entirely different person, as this version of Edward’s kin seemed like he was itching to rip off all of Roy’s limbs, one by one.

Nobody liked vampires – nobody. They were the lowest of the low on the breed ladder, scum of the earth as far as most purebloods were concerned. It had to do with lineage, of all things – vampires made their own lineage as a vampire was made, not born – and that was insulting to the great old families of several breed cultures. Some could trace their lineage back to the olden days, the Dark Ages – but no breed was immortal.

(Except, of course, vampires.)

Alphonse huffed and half-turned, his attention caught on something behind Roy. Roy’s entire being stiffened as he realized Alphonse was eying Rian.

Alphonse Elric had earned a bit of a reputation as a hunter of vampires. He cleared out nests of the creatures, going city to city to end lineages and put oak stakes through the hearts of all the feral vampires who roamed the cities and back alleys. It was rather akin to the reputation his older brother had earned, although Edward did not specialize in vampires, more like he dealt with anything that went bad, if the pay was right. (And often if it wasn’t anyway.) Alphonse kept looking at Roy, and then Rian, as nothing more than prey, something to be dealt with to get his brother back to normal, and the thought turned Roy’s stomach.

He would not let anything happen to Rian. Rian was his responsibility, and right now his biggest responsibility was to ensure that Rian survived his transition intact and would be able to sever the sire/kin bond on his own, as most vampires were meant to.

Roy snarled a bit, in his throat, and that drew Alphonse’s golden eyes back to him, his mouth turned in a sneer. “Stop it!” Winry commanded. “Stop it, you both are acting like CHILDREN, I demand you stop it right now or else I’m ejecting you both from my store!”

Alphonse growled, glancing at Winry. “I don’t need to sit here and accept the help of some accident of nature,” he growled. Winry sighed as he slammed out of the office, past Roy and Rian both, the violence of his passage stirring loose papers and the bell jingling violently as he slammed the door behind him.

“Assfucker,” Rian yelled helpfully after him.

Winry sighed deeply. “I’m sorry about that – although I don’t know why I’m apologizing to you, Al is a bit … uptight, about his brother right now.”

Roy’s hands were clenched at his sides. “Aren’t we all,” he said, and Wirny shot him an apologetic look. “Do you really have no idea?”

She shook her head. “He didn’t give you any indication, huh?”

“Not one.” Roy sighed deeply. “He could be lying in a ditch somewhere, dead – or just sleeping, there’s no telling until we find him what the hell happened to him.”


	11. dragons in the shadows

Rian rose with the last hour of daylight. He could sense the twilight seeping along the edges of the curtains, and he slid out from between identical pools of warmth. Edward did not always sleep the entire day with them – Rian suspected that werewolves simply did not need the same amount of rest as a vampire – but today he had stayed curled up, nearly on top of Rian, his arm thrown over and hand resting on Roy’s back.

Edward didn’t even wake when Rian wormed his way from between them. Roy never woke from his day sleep easy, Rian could roll him over and climb over top and his breathing wouldn’t even change. It was strangely adorable to know that his sire was comfortable being that vulnerable around them.

He wasn’t really used to this, yet. It had been months, nearly a year now and he missed the daylight. It did not scorch his eyes but it was uncomfortable; it was a concession he was willing to make to see the occasional dawn or sunset. Rian padded to the kitchen barefoot and fetched his breakfast, a nearly-expired bag of cold blood. Wishing silently for a better way to warm the coagulated mess, he tore the bag open with his teeth and drained it.

The days were getting longer now. Last year Rian had been made to spend far more time in bed than he had liked – it had taken him months to truly heal and complete the transition from human to full-fledged vampire. Although to be fair to Roy, Rian had slept more than he had ever imagined during that time span, it helped him heal. It seemed like that was all they did in the bright summer months was sleep.

That was actually how Rian learned that the sunlight affected different vampires in different ways. It knocked Roy on his ass, he could get up and function in daylight, but it was a difficult enough task that it was best for him just to sleep through it. Rian, on the other hand, could get up a few hours before dusk and still be an active and productive member of society. Which was, in a word, useful.

Rian crumpled the empty blood bag and binned it. Ed and Roy would not be up for another few hours at least. He could dick around and watch television, or he could go out and see the world a bit.

Deciding on the latter, Rian stepped out into the cool February air. Maybe he would pay the witch a visit.


	12. harsh reality

“I had a joke to make about sleeping on the couch,” Roy said, his arms crossed in amusement. “But it seems that my spot is taken.”

Edward lifted his arm from where he had thrown it over his eyes in the vain attempt to get some sleep with the lights on. He was exhausted down to the very bone, and Roy was being confusing and he wasn’t awake yet. “Mhhuh?”

Rian lifted his head and squinted and Roy. He was sprawled across Edward, using the werewolf as his personal heater, and had been sleeping with his face tucked against Edward’s chest. Of course he had sensed Roy unlocking the door to the apartment, but he hadn’t bothered to raise his head because he was comfortable, damn it. “Go ‘way,” Rian muttered, nestling his head back down. “Sleepin’.”

Edward rested the back of his hand against his forehead and yawned hugely, jostling Rian. “You’re back…” Edward looked vainly for a clock and couldn’t read the digital display on whatever the glowing thing under the television was. “…early? Late? Somethingish?”

“Late,” Roy said, smacking the foot that dangled off the edge of the couch. “It’s almost dawn. I thought you were going to be sniffing around following that lead that Winry got you?”

“Lead sucked,” Rian said into Edward’s shirt.

“What he said,” Edward repeated. “It was a dead end, also fairies. You know how that goes with me.”

“Impressive, you didn’t get hexed, genderswapped or turned into any one of the innumerable things that would piss you off,” Roy said, hanging the heavy coat he wore out in the winter in the tiny coat closet. “Have you been forgiven for pulling the wings of a … what did you pull the wings off of?”

“I don’t remember, it was tiny and nasty and had teeth like tiny little needles.” Edward yawned again. “I don’t think they’ve forgiven me, but the fae queen apparently really, really likes Rian. You might have some competition, Mustang.”

Rian made an amused noise but still did not lift his head. “She was pretty,” he said simply, and Roy frowned, his arms crossed.

“Should I be worried about this?”

“Eh, you two are immortal as fuck, I don’t think faerie really mess around with vampires anyway.” Edward nudged Rian with his knee. “I think you should hook up with her, she clearly had the hots for you.”

Rian snorted, lifting his head and glaring at Edward. “You only want me to hook up with her because that would get you off the hook with the Seelie court.”

“Never said there weren’t ulterior motives.” Edward leaned his head back and watched Roy stalk into the kitchen. “Whoops, think that hurt Mustang’s feelings. Ow!”

Rian lifted his head, the puncture marks from his fangs already healed over on Edward’s flesh. “You are a dick,” he informed Edward, despite licking his lips slowly. “A tasty dick, but a dick.”

“Eh,” Edward shrugged, and then shoved Rian. Rian gave a whoop and rolled off the couch and onto the floor. “Go talk to your sire. Give him a blowjob or something, he needs to unwind. If he goes to sleep sulky I guarantee we’re in for a few days of it, and I don’t have the stomach for that right now.”

Rian rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “You started this,” he said accusingly. “Couldn’t keep your mouth shut about the fuckin’ faeries.”

Edward shrugged and folded his arms behind his head. “It’s a curse.”


	13. ignored instinct

It was warm out, for March - not spring weather, but Edward barely noticed the chill in the air as he moved down the street at a half-trot. Three clubs and no luck yet - the last bouncer had looked Edward up and down and then turned him away. It took a lot of control for Edward not to flip the man and lay him out on the sidewalk - he smelled human, he didn’t stink of witchcraft or any of the other identifiable human breed scents, but that didn’t mean the human lump was an easy target.

Besides, he was supposed to be on his best behavior. He was new in town (well, new-ish), and he didn’t have the luxury that would afford him to burn bridges at this early stage in the game. Edward slowed his walk from a fast trot to a slow amble and exhaled a long, annoyed sigh.

The worst thing about taking jobs for witches, he decided, was that they were never as easy as promised on paper.

Although, it was nice to see Winry again. Edward smirked to himself a little bit at that thought - she looked pretty much the same as the last time he saw her - a few more piercings, and her hair longer - and she didn’t even throw a book at him when he wandered across her path! It was a good omen, he decided.

But then, this job. He was running all over town looking for this guy, and he was probably a skinwalker. Those things changed scents like an infant changes diapers, and even if you saw them change right before your eyes you might lose their scent a moment later. Frustrating as all hell, so Edward was having to do his legowrk the old-fashioned way.

A clatter from the alley he was passing caught his attention, and Edward hesitated, his hands in his pockets. There was no scream for help, no yell to alert him that someone was in danger - just the fresh, metallic tang of spilled blood. 

There were a million reasons not to investigate the noise. Edward was running late already, his initial investigation not turning up exactly what Winry wanted to hear. But Edward was a wolf, and his own curiousity won out, in the end. He approached the alleyway on soft feet, ready to turn - or run - at a moment’s notice.

There was a scent in the air that drifted through the scent of blood - something faintly familiar. He had smelled it before, but not recently - and as he saw the two legs sticking out from behind the dumpster, he recognized it.

A vampire.

He was poised to run, and every ounce of Edward’s being told him to get out of dodge. Vampires were nasty business, most were little more than feral monsters who would rip out your throat as soon as look at you. Edward had an extraordinary healing ability, but just like all other werewolves … if he got killed, that was it. Game over.

And vampires were killers. They preyed on anything that moved - human, breed … and this one lay in a pool of rat carcasses that were all decapitated. The vampire, too, lay passed out on his back, a rat’s carcass gripped tight in one hand.

The words of his teacher floated around in his mind - never trust any other breed - but the vampire was laying in a pool of recently-dead animals. A club was a little less than a block away, full of drunk and passed-out coeds of either gender. So why was this vampire left alone, feeding from animals?

Edward hesitated at the edge of the dumpster. It would be easy, to stake this vampire - he had done it before - but something was stopping him. He groaned, loudly, and put one hand on his face. If he wasn’t going to put this clearly unconscious vampire out of his misery, just what the hell was he going to DO with him…?


	14. seductive danger

Roy was sitting up in bed by the time Edward came home. He had not had a bed - that was an emergency purchase, Edward was used to sleeping on the couch - and he couldn’t help but think of it as “Roy’s bed.” He hadn’t really been using the bedroom anyway.

The vampire was watching Edward putter about the apartment with sharp eyes. The domicile was little more than a couch, a television stand, a teletvision, and a table shoved in the corner (with no chairs, even) - it was clear that it served mostly as a roof over his head and a recharging station more than an actual home. Edward shoved the soft cooler into the fridge without emptying it, grabbing one of large, squishy containers and delivering it to the bedroom hurriedly.

"Don’t know what you’re gonna do when this pipeline dries up," Edward announced as Roy tore the bag of blood open with his teeth. “‘Cause someone’s bound to notice, sooner or later."

"Then I’ll move on," Roy said. "I can’t be the only vampire who does this, I’m sure there’s an underground, somewhere."

"I wouldn’t be too certain." Edward lingered in the doorway of the bedroom, leaning in against the doorframe. "You’re the first one I’ve met who can string together a coherent sentence."

Roy frowned at him, and Edward shrugged. He was a little unsettled by the way Roy looked at him - he had not really heard of vampires preying on other breeds - but there was no use taking chances. Kicking himself for not picking up some holy water from Winry’s shop, Edward turned to retreat toward the living room.

"Ed." 

Edward stopped at his name, glancing over his shoulder. Roy had the blood bag in both hands, staring down at it thoughtfully. “Thank you,” he said, not raising his head. 

He was struck then, by how vulnerable this vampire was - in a starvation state, just now starting to get his strength back, at the mercy of what could be a hated enemy - and Edward swallowed, nodding his head even though Roy was not looking up to see it.

"Don’t mention it," he murmured, and retreated to the safety of his couch.

He clearly had a lot to think about.


	15. shallow grave

Edward stood completely naked in the half-dug hole, his hands and feet both thoroughly blackened by the mud. “If you think it’s so easy, YOU get down here and help,” he snapped, his hands on his hips and glaring daggers. Roy put up both hands in supplication, while Rian simply sat on the ground, holding his sides with tears of laughter streaming down his face. Edward glared at them both, turned around, and disappeared down into the hole, the transformation as smooth as silk. Dirt started to fly again as the golden wolf burrowed, digging into the soft, muddy loam.

Roy glared down at Rian. “You shouldn’t antagonize him,” he scolded Rian. Rian wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, smudging dirt across his face. 

"He changed back just to be pissy," Rian said. Edward lifted his head from the hole, ears back and golden eyes narrowed, and Rian waved at him. They both saw the wolf give a large sigh, and put his head back down. 

"Ed is really going to make you get down there and help him," Roy said. "You piss him off enough, you’ll be the one digging that hole."

"Nah." Rian put both of his hands out in front of him. "Winry said-"

"Winry says stuff like that all the time to get Ed to do things for her," Roy murmured. "Although I’m not entirely sure if Ed has caught on and is just playing oblivious, or…"

"He’s completely oblivious," Rian said.

"Completely," Roy sighed.

Rian set his arms on his knees and grinned. “But he’s kinda hot when he’s all naked and grimy and sweaty and stuff, huh?”

Roy wrinkled his nose. “Maybe if he hoses off first. The sweat I can deal with, the grave dirt… not so much.”


	16. Chapter 16

It was a little bit more difficult to fairly divide up attention with three of them in the bed now, but Edward was beginning to get good at multitasking. He was especially good at it in the middle, with Roy holding on to his hips, fingers digging into the warm tanned flesh and Rian holding his head still.

He didn’t mind being used like this, hell he practically rejoiced in it, the feeling of Roy pressing him open and keeping him full, the scent and taste of Rian as he filled Edward’s mouth – he loved the overwhelming power of them both.

Rian still did not have the practice that they did, the ability to pace himself quite as well. He almost always came first, and Edward would not let him withdraw, accepted Rian’s come down his throat without spilling a drop. Rian’s fingers had tightened in his hair almost painfully but Edward could barely feel it. Roy hadn’t stopped or slowed his stroke in the slightest.

Edward buried his head in his arms and groaned, as the feeling of being too full increased exponentially. Roy was always raring to go when it came to bedroom concerns, especially if he had just had a fresh meal.

Rian settled back, falling from his knees to his ass, one hand framing his now-flaccid cock, the other supporting his weight. He watched breathlessly as Roy fucked Edward in front of him, his rhythm growing more varied and violent as they both approached the edge.

It was magic, nights like these. Edward had so many things to do nowadays, that they didn’t get to just enjoy sex like they used to. Edward’s voice rose as Roy hit just right, and that was it for him. Over the edge in a twinkling, a cascade of emotions and pleasure shooting through his body in intense waves. Edward shuddered, feeling Roy still fucking, pumping into him again and again.

Rian leaned forward, tilting Edward’s head up. He looked a little glazed at the young vampire, who grinned wickedly and kissed Edward. Edward shuddered against his mouth as Roy held him still, his own orgasm finally hitting.

Hell, he could barely even think when his brain was scrambled like this, but the concern on Rian’s face is all too real. Edward brushed his hair, sticky-damp with sweat, from his brow as Roy slid off of him. “You okay?” Edward asked, and Rian actually laughed.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” he asked as Edward moved around, turning his back to Rian and presenting him with his ass.

“Presumably,” Edward said, hanging his head slightly. “But if you’d be so kind, I’m kind of not done wanting to get fucked. You’re ready again, right?”

Rian stroked his hand up and down his cock, before leaning forward and putting his hands on Edward’s hips. “We’re just getting started, right?”

“You have no idea,” Edward purred.


	17. food

Edward Elric stood in front of the open refrigerator, his arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face. The fridge was mostly empty, just a handful of bottles, half a package of sliced cheese, and a jar of pickles.

(He still wasn’t quite sure where the jar of pickles came from, he didn’t eat pickles, and Roy so rarely ate to begin with. Edward was beginning to suspect that the apartment came with it.)

There was nothing to it, he was going to have to make a grocery run. Especially now that Rian had apparently discovered how great everything tasted on a vampire’s enhanced senses. The brat didn’t even NEED to eat, and he ate all of Edward’s food.

And drank all of his beer.

Edward narrowed his eyes at the fridge, and then slammed the door shut. He was going to have some WORDS with that boy.


	18. cold feet

The knock came at the door in that twilight transition between day and night, when the last of the sun’s rays painted the tops of buildings with burnished gold. Roy Mustang groaned, his arm thrown over his eyes as the blackout curtains in the bedroom had been shifted somewhat, and even the thought of opening his eyes to daylight had started a pressure headache in his temples. 

He rolled over instead, and kicked Edward Elric in the back of the leg. “Get up,” Roy mumbled. “Someone’s at the door.” 

Edward was usually a heavy sleeper, when he did choose to sleep. There was something about his physiology that meant he did not have to sleep nearly as often as Roy did - daylight was not anathema to werewolves as it was to vampires, after all. However, when he was out, he was OUT. “Ed!” 

Edward pulled the comforter up over his head. “‘s cold,” he muttered into his pillow. “Your feet are like blocks of ice it’s fucking April, Mustang-“ 

The knocking came again, harder this time. “Are you going to go see what that is about?” Roy hissed. “Or am I going to go have an early breakfast?” 

Sleep-tousled blond hair made an appearance, as muzzy amber eyes emerged from under the blanket. “You wouldn’t.” 

"I’m hungry." 

"You are not, you wouldn’t go eat innocent people, I know you better than that." It had worked though, because now Edward was clearly awake, and sitting up slowly in bed. Roy could not keep the smile off his face as the blankets slid down Edward’s half-naked form. He reached over, putting one hand on Edward’s bare belly, intending to pull the werewolf closer to him. Instead, Edward recoiled as if he had been burned. 

"Gah! Your hands are like ice too!"


	19. draw a circle

"I look like a tool," Edward said, and his voice had slid into the range of whining. He tugged forlornly at the buttoned collar of his dress shirt, two fingers hooked behind the tie. Roy rolled his eyes and pulled at Edward’s wrist, making him stand straight while Roy made final adjustments. “I should be reconnoitering on his trip, you should take Rian, I look like-“ 

"Hot damn," Rian said, sticking his head around the door. "Ed cleans up nice!" 

Edward glowered daggers at the teenager, but Roy smiled. He dusted off Edward’s shoulder, pulling some shed hair from the dark material. “I agree,” Roy said. “You can hardly tell that I had to hold him down and make him shave this morning.” 

Rian was wearing dark clothes, a pair of Edward’s favorite black pants that were too large for his slight frame, and a dark hooded sweatshirt. “Thinking about a balaclava, or do you think that would be too much?” 

"Definitely too much," Edward said. "Unless you want to advertise that we’re playing spies and snipers." 

Roy rolled his eyes. “We’re not sniping anything, unless you count whatever it is you do to buffets,” he pointed out. He looked Edward up and down and smirked. “But I have to admit, you DO clean up well.” 

"Shut up," Edward said. "Shut up, or I’m figuring out a way for me to take Rian and leave you out in the cold for seven hours."

"You’re sweet," Roy ruffled Rian’s dark hair as he passed, and Rian tried to duck away. "You also can’t get into this function without me, or do you really want to see what happens to werewolves when they gate-crash a high-profile vampire function?" 

Edward crossed his arms. “As I recall, this was YOUR idea, not mine, Mustang.”


	20. wall

All the breath left Edward’s lungs as Roy slammed him back against the wall. It was such a violent, hard movement but then Roy’s mouth was covering his, and his breathlessness took on another tone entirely. Edward grabbed Roy’s shirt in both hands, head tilted up defiantly to meet Roy’s, the fire in his eyes unquenchable. 

Sometimes - sometimes, Roy got like this. Edward had been gone for a few days - a hunting trip, as it were. Keeping Breeds in line could be a difficult task, and the last thing that Edward wanted was to drag Roy into the line of fire like that. There was already quite a stigma surrounding them, after all. Vampires and werewolves simply did NOT shack up, it wasn’t done. 

(There was a bit of irony therein that Edward enjoyed; no one cared that they were both men, but two different Breeds? Sacrilege!) 

Roy’s lips traced down to Edward’s neck, hot breath on his skin, and Edward tilted his head aside to allow him access. Roy’s fangs were delicate on his skin, pinpricks and then a sudden flare of pain that receded quickly as Roy bit him. 

Edward hiked his leg over Roy’s, arching and pulling him closer as the vampire fed on him. The feeling was intoxicating, this strange and pleasant warmth that pulsated from their point of connection. He knew in his heart that he should be feeling the effects, growing weaker as he was drained of blood, but in this moment it was dizzying. When Roy finally lifted his head, Edward’s blood on his lips, Edward was flush with exhilaration, and hard with need. Roy ran his hand over the crotch of Edward’s jeans, now far too tight, and Edward grabbed Roy by the neck, dragging him down into another kiss.


	21. on fire

Winry Rockbell did not lift her head as the bell jingled above the door. “No vampires in the store,” she said, flipping a page of the grimoire she was studying. This did not dissuade her visitor, who folded his arms over the top of the glass cabinet and stared at Winry. She rolled her eyes and lifted her head, taking her glasses off. “Yes, that means you too, Rian.” 

Rian Martin puffed air through his cheeks, looking more than slightly ridiculous. “You like me, though.” 

"I have a sign," Winry pointed at the door. She closed her grimoire though, and shook her head. "What are you doing here?" 

"Looking for Ed," Rian ran a hand through his hair. "Roy would’ve been by, but he’s scared of you." 

"As well he should be," Winry muttered. "I haven’t seen Ed though, not in a week or two. He only turns up when he wants something." She eyed Rian, and he grinned sheepishly. "A trait that he has apparently passed on." 

"Hey, I’d turn up more if you didn’t have a racist sign in your window." 

Winry’s eyes darkened menacingly. “Don’t talk to me of racism, fangboy. Come back when your entire family has been systematically hunted down and burned at the stake simply because of accusations by, oh, a VAMPIRE.” She slid off her stool and stalked off toward the back, blond ponytail flipping sharply with the movement. She stopped and turned, pointing a finger at Rian. “And if you say ‘all vampires aren’t like that!’ I’m going to cast a silencing spell on you that will last a MONTH.” 

Rian pouted. “I thought you liked me!” 

"I do, that’s the only reason you haven’t been thrown out on your ass." Winry tossed a bundle on the counter. "Here. This will help."


	22. i can't even

Winry looked Edward up and down. “I’m sure that there’s a good reason why you’re naked, and I’m really sure that I don’t want to hear what it is.” 

Edward had been stopped mid-yawn as he walked through into the kitchen. He stared at Winry, confused. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

She cocked her head, staring at him. “Ed, put on pants or something, please.” 

"Roy doesn’t care that I’m naked," Edward said defensively, scratching a hand through his hair. He half turned and yelled back in the direction of the bedroom. "Mustang! Did you give the witch a key?" He looked back at Winry and frowned. "How did you get IN here, we have wards." 

"I let her in," Rian said, shoving at Edward with a hand as he squeezed through into the kitchen. Rian hesitated, and looked at Edward. "You’re naked, Ed." 

"NO SHIT," Edward yelled. 

"What on earth is going on in here," Roy said muzzily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He rested his hand on Edward’s shoulder and peered at Winry. "Miss Rockbell, you’ve invaded our kitchen. Again." 

She pointed at Edward. “Tell your wolf boy-toy to put on some pants or pull on some fur, because he’s dangling in the breeze and it’s really distracting.” 

"Ed," Roy said gently, and Edward heaved a very large and disgruntled sigh. 

"Not even in my own home," Edward muttered, as he shifted. Within seconds a large golden wolf sat forlornly on the floor, his ears back and expression guarded. 

"Better?" Roy asked. Winry nodded her head, clearly satisfied. "All right, that still begs the question why we’ve been invaded when there were clearly wards put up to keep everyone else out." Roy glanced at Rian, who did not look the slightest bit repentant. Rian shrugged.


	23. wet paper

Winry sighed mournfully as she fished the old book from the river. It was just her luck that she had been headed out when she saw the faint glow emanating from beneath the bridge. Carefully, she used the tree branch to drop the old, hardbound book to the ground beside her, where it landed with a wet plop. 

The book was hardbound, and even waterlogged the cover still held its shape. The murky river water had worn away most of the gilding though, all that was left was a faintly ominous brown. The book looked fairly plain, for what it was - if she couldn’t see the faint pulsing red glow, she would have foolishly touched it with her bare hands. The red aura it gave out to those who could see it was a huge warning flag that this book had been touched by dark magic. 

It wasn’t any of her business. She could have ignored the book and moved on, she was supposed to be meeting Edward the club in an hour - but what the hell kind of good witch was she supposed to be if she let a dark magic artifact just go floating off down the river? 

The only gloves she had on her were her nice leather gloves, and she muttered under her breath sullenly. Once she touched the book the gloves would be sullied. Not to the point that the dark magic they would absorb would be dangerous to any non-magic user, but she would have to dispose of them all the same. Well, if she was going to fuck up her gloves, she might as well at least take a look at the book that was causing all her trouble first. 

Crouched on the riverbank, Winry Rockbell carefully opened the dangerous book.


	24. it's tradition

"No," Roy said, his face buried in the pillow. Edward stood at the foot of the bed, hands on his hips and a grin on his face. 

"I will open the curtains," Edward threatened cheerfully. "It’s not THAT bright out, or anything." 

Roy made a noise that sounded like a groan into the pillow, and Rian lifted his head. Roy had had his arm thrown over the smaller vampire, keeping him held close and safe. “You open those blinds and I’ll kill you,” Rian said seriously. 

Edward rolled his eyes. “Both of you, up. Sun is going down, a little bit of daylight won’t kill you - don’t roll your eyes at me, Rian, I’ve seen you frolicking in the sunlight before.” 

"Frolicking?" Roy murmured, and Rian ducked his head, clearly embarrassed. 

"Yes, frolicking." Edward emphasized the word. "We had a lot of fun in the park didn’t we?" 

"Yeah, I wasn’t the one chasing after Frisbees and tennis balls," Rian said. "Or smelling other dog’s butts." 

"Hey," Edward said, insulted, as Roy turned slowly to look at Edward. "I’m not a dog." 

"You were sticking your nose in DOG butts?" Roy sounded incredulous. 

"Ah, whatever, if I have to explain it you definitely wouldn’t understand," Edward said. "You two have five minutes to be out of bed before the sun lamp comes on." 

Rian looked at Roy, who had dropped his head back to the pillow. “He has a sun lamp?” 

"He doesn’t have a sun lamp," Roy said. "Go back to sleep." 

Edward stuck his head back in the room. “Four minutes,” he said cheerfully. 

"I hate the spring," Roy said into his pillow. "I hate that he’s like this. I think we should ship him off to Siberia and wait for him to find his way home."


	25. wither

Alphonse Elric did not like the city, and never understood why his brother preferred to call the dirty streets his home. The place stank, of pollution and people and thousands of other Breeds.

It was never hard to find Edward - he made no secret of his address, a dilapidated apartment complex in the worst part of town. The place stank of vampires though, and Alphonse avoided it if at all possible.

He and his brother had lived separate for many years - but Alphonse used to believe that he understood Edward, he knew what went on in that twisted little mind of his. They had been on the same wavelength for so long, even when apart … and now, so suddenly, his brother seemed like an entirely different person. He had made his bed with vampires, of all things - and knowing Edward, he probably even let them FEED on him. Alphonse shuddered at the thought.

However, this was one time that he could NOT avoid the apartment. Alphonse didn’t climb the stairs, he sulked around on the ground floor. Even from here he could smell them, the vampires, and the scent made him ill. They smelled of blood and death, sickeningly-sweet, a scent mostly beyond mortal comprehension. It didn’t seem like Edward was home, so if he hung around down here the chances were good he could intercept his brother before he got the vampires involved.

The last thing Alphonse wanted was vampires in werewolf business.

But Edward did not seem like he was coming home any time soon, and Alphonse did not want to be camping an apartment on this side of town after the sun set. It was not that he was afraid of the people around him, but he would rather avoid getting shot again.


	26. oh no

It was nearly dawn, the first hints of day brushing the far horizon. Roy stood on the ledge of the building, his hands in the pockets of his long coat as he looked out across the rooftops. Pre-dawn was the most peaceful time of the night; all the late night revelers had dispersed, and only the very, very early risers were beginning to go about their business. The city was not silent, but muted. 

Edward trotted up behind Roy and slung himself over the ledge into a seated position, legs dangling out over the five-story drop as if he hadn’t a care in the world. “Slow night,” Edward reported, leaning back on one hand and scratching his chest with the other. He wrinkled his nose and glanced at Roy. “You stink of blood, Mustang. You haven’t been feeding again, have you?” 

There was no surreptitious way for Roy to check to make sure that blood was not streaked around his mouth, so he looked away. Edward sighed heavily as Roy glanced down the street. “Roy, you can’t go feeding off of people, I thought we had an understanding.” 

"I haven’t killed anyone," Roy said softly. "I was just … hungry." 

"If you’re hungry and you need fresh, you come to me." Roy sensed Edward standing up and glanced back over at him. Edward was close, he touched Roy’s face with one bare hand and Roy sighed, the warmth of Edward’s flesh comforting. "Don’t backslide, please," Edward’s voice was soft, almost lost in the wind. "I can’t lose you." 

Roy turned his face into Edward’s hand; he could smell the blood through his flesh, pulsing warm in his wrist. He bit Edward’s wrist before he realized what he was doing and looked up to see Edward smile brokenly as he fed.


	27. heretic

"Do you ever miss it?" Alphonse asked, sliding onto a stool beside Edward at the bar. His words and tone cut cleanly through the hectic background noise, and Edward raised his head, looking at his younger brother evenly. 

Without clarifying, he knew immediately what Alphonse meant. “Not a bit,” he said evenly, meeting Alphonse’s eyes. 

Alphonse laughed quietly. “You’re a horrible liar, brother,” he said, resting his hands on the bar. “You always have been.” He studied his own hands for a long moment, before flagging down the bartender to order a drink. 

Edward was tense beside him, sitting slightly hunched. He had his elbows in and was watching Alphonse levelly, assessing for any threat. Alphonse couldn’t blame him, not really - the last time they had met, the ensuing brawl had cleared the bar in under a minute. Alphonse was the better fighter, always had been. 

"I’m not here to fight," Alphonse said quietly. Edward snorted and looked down to his glass. 

"Are you here to take me back?" 

"I was," Alphonse put cash on the bar as the bartender dropped a drink before him. "But you are just as much trouble as I remember, brother." He sighed. "And now I’m not so sure that you were wrong to leave." 

"You should go back," Edward said "If you stay, they’ll come after you too. Say I poisoned your mind, or some other such bullshit." 

"That’s not entirely false, though," Alphonse said thoughtfully. 

Edward smiled slightly and lifted his head. “I’ve missed you, Al,” he said, and leaned over to bump his brother’s shoulder with his own. “Welcome to exile.” 

Alphonse chuckled a little at the thought. “So, what happens now?” 

His brother tilted the beer bottle back, draining its contents completely. “That, I think, is entirely up to you.”


	28. the lost city

Rian Martin was a child of the streets. He knew the roads and the byways and the alleys far better than Edward, even if Ed had roamed them at random over the past few years. He knew what sewer grates to nudge aside that allowed access to the subterranean world, he was fluent in the strange scrawled glyphs on the walls - dead ends, dead body found here, this area under patrol, camera installed - and most of all, he was not afraid. 

The stank of the sewers almost overwhelmed Ed’s sensitive nose - he had his shirt up, covering the lower half of his face and filtering out the worst of the smells as he trailed Rian. The teenager was more at ease than he was - and it was deeply unusual. Ed didn’t like bringing Rian along on hunts, but this one required his unusual area of expertise … navigating the labyrinthine sewers that extended deep under the city. 

Their boots made a loud echo, even on the damp concrete walkways, and Ed knew Rian was intentionally walking loud. The kid could move in near-silence, he was as sneaky as Roy without the added boost of stealth that Roy’s vampirism gave him - and Ed realized suddenly that Rian was walking with a warning in his step, broadcast to any street rats like himself lurking in the sewers. 

(We don’t mean you any harm, but do not approach.) 

There was an entire language down here, a code that was only familiar to those who had been initiated. Ed tugged at the shirt covering his face and shuddered at growing up among the stench and filth. He had grown up in the woods and along the road, free to travel wherever his paws took him. 

Here, no light penetrated.


	29. sunday school

Edward hopped the fence with ease - it wasn’t a particularly tall one, solid stone with those metal spikes that were meant to seem threatening but instead seemed silly. He balanced, feet secure on the flat space between the decorative spikes, and glanced back at Roy who was still standing several strides away from the fence with the strangest expression on his face. “Come on, Mustang. What’s the holdup?” 

Roy’s face made it look like he was straining. “I … I can’t-?” 

Edward turned, using the motion to drop into a crouch on the fence, straddling over one of the spikes carelessly. “What? Wha-” he stared at Roy, and then glanced back at the towering old spire that could be seen over the treetops. “You’re joking.” 

Roy took a large step back, the scowl heavy on his face now. “What the hell?” Edward watched him stride forward and then stop, suddenly, like he was being repelled. “What the actual, actual hell-!” 

"It’s holy ground," Edward said, a little awed. "Vampires can’t set foot on holy ground." 

"I’ve," Roy took a step back again. "I’ve been in churches before, and why are YOU all right? You’re a blasted WEREWOLF-" 

He scratched his head. “Yeah. I don’t think we’re unholy thou’, just magical.” He cocked his head. “You HAVE been in churches, I don’t get it. Maybe the ground wasn’t holy any longer? Can ground even BE unholy’d?” 

Roy threw out his arms. “Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?” 

Edward stood up on the fence again, cast his gaze toward the church in the distance. “Well, in that case, it can’t be a demon or anything unholy so I should be able to handle it by myself then. Just keep lookout, okay?” Edward stepped off the fence and vanished.


	30. get out of it

"I don’t like that look you’re giving me," Edward said, staring directly back at Winry over the short shelf. There had been an actual customer (!) when Edward had sauntered through the door of her shop, so he had contented himself with poking things on a shelf that seemed somewhat interesting and marginally dangerous to let into the hands of the public at large. 

"Don’t poke the bottles of bath salts," Winry said, and glanced back down at the cash register. 

Edward made a face, and then rubbed the back of his hand across his nose. “What’d you want me for, anyway? I get a text about how you need my help NOW and I roll my ass out of bed and hoof it over here and you’re …” he gestured an arm at the door. “With CUSTOMERS.” 

Winry slammed the drawer shut, but Edward didn’t even wince. “You know, you could have just texted me back if you didn’t want to come help.” 

"I was already awake," Edward said, his cheeks flushing involuntarily. He had very much been awake, and Roy’s mouth had been on parts of his body he wasn’t going to tell Winry about this very moment anyway. "What’s going on? If you need anything from Unseelie I’m out the door. I don’t like faerie." 

"I don’t need your help procuring anything today," Winry said. She waved her hand toward the door, and Edward jumped a little when he heard the door lock. He would easily forget that Winry was so talented with magic that she didn’t need to vocalize a cast spell - and that made her very, very dangerous. "It’s more along the lines of disposal, really." 

"Disposal," Edward said, and despite himself, NOW he was curious. "Couldn’t you poof whatever it is into non-existence?"


	31. marbles

"You know," Russell said, curling his fingers in the dirt and pulling himself up over the edge of the cliff by sheer force of will. "Sometimes, I think you’re just fucking with me." 

Edward’s hands appeared at the edge of the cliff, and after a moment’s consideration Russell leaned over and grabbed the other werewolf by the wrist, helping haul him up over the edge. Edward sprawled over the grass on his back, panting hard, and Russell flopped to the ground beside him. “Sometimes I am,” Edward admitted, and wiped a grimy hand across his face. “Fucking with you.” 

They could both still hear the crashing, booming sound of the large boulder smashing its way toward the bottom of the ravine. Then, after a long moment - silence, followed by a tremendous splash as the rock hit the lake at the bottom. 

After another moment, Russell began to laugh. 

Edward lifted his head, a bit giddy himself at the fate they had dodged by mere millimeters. He shoved Russell in the shoulder and that only made the other wolf laugh harder, choking a bit on the noise as he doubled up. “Isn’t this the point where you’re supposed to be pissed at me?” Edward asked as he sat up. 

"I’ll be pissed later," Russell said, and palmed tears of laughter off his face. 

"Really? You sure you aren’t going to FORGET?" Edward said lightly, and wiped the blood from his face with his shirt. Why hadn’t he shifted? That would’ve been smarter, he would have been able to run easier, especially in the dark - but Russell hadn’t shifted either. 

Russell leaned over and punched Edward in the arm. “Asshole,” he said, and then grabbed Edward by the front of his shirt, pulling him down into the grass atop him.


	32. in short supply

Edward stepped into the small room, ducking his head reflexively as he entered. He’d been in here a few times before, it was a practiced motion - one that Alphonse apparently wasn’t paying enough attention to emulate, because he heard his younger brother bang his head off of the low-hanging doorframe. 

"God dammit," Alphonse grunted, one hand to his forehead to check for blood as he lowered his head enough to enter the room properly as well. 

Edward kept the smirk off his face as he looked around. Alphonse loved to give him grief about his height - which he suspected would be more normal if Alphonse himself wasn’t a freakishly large human being. “You all right there?” 

"You could’ve said something," Alphonse grunted, glancing around the room as well. 

"Shoulda been paying more attention anyway." The room hadn’t been touched since the last time he was here - he wondered if he should commend the other members of Alphonse’s pack, or just pity them. The storage lockers were still shut tight, locks in place. "Doesn’t look like the stuff came from here, does it?" 

"I told you," Alphonse moved across the room and crouched before the locker. "We keep a close eye on the stuff." His brother was cautious, he blocked the locker with his body so Edward couldn’t see the combination as he span the dial. That was okay, the tumblers in the lock were noisy, he got the combination anyway. "The guy who shot you, he didn’t get his bullets from here." 

His shoulder throbbed with the reminder. Silver bullets - especially ones that flew with such accuracy - they weren’t exactly something you picked up at a regular ammunition store. “You think it’s hunters?” 

Alphonse’s shoulders stiffened. “Don’t say that too loudly,” he murmured. “They’ll come.”


	33. mini golf

"You have a - where did you GET that?" Roy shoved the patio door open, and Edward grinned at him, twirling the putter and completely naked. His nudity didn’t particularly faze Roy - Ed turned up naked most of the time, having shifted to and from his lupine form in the process of getting home. 

The golf club, on the other hand…. 

"So you know that swank country club about five miles from here," Edward rested the putter on his shoulder as Roy slid the door shut behind him and locked it. 

"That ritzy one you got us thrown out of last year?" Roy asked with a sigh, already knowing the direction of the conversation. Edward was dripping wet, naked, and had a golf club. The only thing he was missing was some wealthy lady’s handbag. 

"That’s the one," he nodded. "So, Russell had a lead on this water sprite -" 

"Russell," Roy said, the name dripping with venom. There was only the slightest pause before Edward continued his narrative, resolute that Roy’s dislike of the other wolf not put a damper on his evening. 

"Said it had been popping up in the water hazards in golf courses all across the state." He switched hands on the putter to wipe his dripping bangs out of his eyes. "Apparently the thing was sucking some kind of mojo off the golf players, they’d get real ill for a while. Maybe just life force type stuff, I didn’t ask for details." 

Roy suddenly recalled the newspaper article he had seen about a country club closing due to a rash of unexplained illness among its patrons. “And, pray tell, did you get any type of payment for your services?” 

Edward held out the golf club, and Roy rolled his eyes. “Can’t eat that.”


	34. zero

"So there are four of us now," Alphonse said, back to the concrete wall and hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. It was still very warm, even with the sun down, and humidity clung thick to the air. 

Edward arrived late, no surprise there. The only reason he was ever on time for anything was if someone (Alphonse - or, more lately, Roy) bullied him into being present. Edward wouldn’t have mentioned this meeting to Roy. This wasn’t something for vampires. 

"Four?" Edward said, and counted. Alphonse rolled his eyes and glanced at Kennichi, who sat crouched on the curb. He knew Edward didn’t trust people he didn’t know, but Alphonse knew him and Alphonse trusted him, and that had to count for something, right? And then he realized it wasn’t Kennichi he was hung up on. "Oh no, he’s not the fourth. He doesn’t COUNT, Al." 

Alphonse shook his head. “We need all hands on deck for this, brother. Winry said her magic has held, he’s just as strong as the rest of us-“ 

"Fucking Tringham’s not a WOLF, though," Edward growled. 

And he wasn’t. Not like them. But that didn’t matter, and Alphonse knew that and he knew Edward knew that. “Okay, so we leave him out. So that puts three of us against the entire Elder Council AND the Shadow Patrol.” 

"Good. I like those odds better." 

"BROTHER." Alphonse said firmly, and Edward sighed and scritched his head. 

"I don’t know why I signed up for your stupid war anyway," Edward said distractedly. "This isn’t my fight, I left the pack. They didn’t want me." 

"That’s not true and you know it," Alphonse snapped back. "Even if it was, then why are you here?" 

“‘Cause you’re my brother,” Edward said simply. “That’s what brothers do.”


	35. mirror

It was a strange thing, to have a family. 

Roy sat on the couch behind him, legs crossed, the newspaper open - he was a day behind, always a day behind, reading the morning’s newspaper in the evening when he first rolled out of bed. Coffee did nothing for him, stimulants didn’t seem to affect vampires the same way as regular people, so he was bleary-eyed and tousle-headed. He had ran his hand through Rian’s hair as he passed, settled down with his paper, watched a minute as Rian jiggled the controller and then rolled his eyes, returning to the newspaper. 

Ed was in the kitchen, sucking down raw eggs because he was gross and for some reason ate them raw. Roy yelled at him about that days ago, and Edward retorted to the diatribe by egging Roy. Literally. Rian had come home from a blood-bag run to the hospital to Ed sitting outside the apartment, picking eggshell shards out of his hair and still laughing. 

There was so much love in the strange little apartment, and Rian didn’t know what to do with it. He’d never been a part of a family before - he had had friends when he lived on the streets, but it was certainly an every man for himself type of situation. Here … here Edward butted his head if he slept too late and demanded ear scritches, tail thumping eagerly. Roy would cook breakfast, even if he didn’t partake. Everyone looked after everyone else. It was everything he’d wanted and never knew how to look for. 

And yet … 

Rian couldn’t help be terrified that it would all come to a crashing, violent end. Nothing good in this world was meant to last, especially not for him.


	36. through all time

Roy shoved Edward’s shoulder, slamming him back against the wall. Edward went - he was surprised at the flare of anger, hadn’t been expecting it and he always strangely submitted to Roy when Roy was mad. Roy had never quite understood that quirk to Edward’s behavior, hadn’t thought hard on the fact that Edward let himself be manhandled when he could just as easily break Roy’s arm in two places, and right now he was just so angry he couldn’t be bothered to give it another moment’s thought. 

He could smell the night on Edward. He could smell the other wolves - his brother, all right - but that other one, the blond, the blue eyes, the faux-wolf - the one that Edward still, STILL had feelings for - and he couldn’t deal with it. “You saw him again,” Roy didn’t yell. He didn’t have to. 

His nose wasn’t as good as a werewolf’s - but he could pick out the scent of the interloper in a heartbeat. Roy wanted to rip out Russell’s throat with his fangs - vampires could kill werewolves, much easier than most, and he savored the idea of draining Russell dry in his rage. “You saw him again - did he hurt you? What’s going on, Ed, you SWORE-“ 

And for once, Edward fought back. He shoved at Roy with both hands, broke the hold on him and came up flaring, golden eyes bright with his own anger. “What does it matter to you?” The words were out before Edward could stop them, clearly horrified even as they escaped. “You’ve got someone else now, why do you still care what I do?” 

It was if time stopped completely. 

Roy’s mouth went dry, and Edward’s gaze went to the floor. He couldn’t mean it. He COULDN’T.


	37. blood in water

Edward had gotten used to Roy’s fangs - the gentle caress of his tongue before the puncture, the white-hot flash of pain that eased almost instantly into pleasure - Rian’s … not so much.

"Hey, OW-" Edward complained as Rian latched onto his neck like a greedy lamprey, barely letting him get through the door. The fading gold of sunset didn’t even faze the young vampire, and Edward sighed, gave up trying to detach him and instead glared at Roy, who was sitting on the couch and out of the path of the setting sun. "Roy," he said pointedly, and Roy looked up at him. "Haven’t you been feeding your pet?"

The indignation at the term got Rian to lift his head and Edward took advantage of it, removing him bodily and holding him out by the back of his shirt. “Hey! I am NOT a pet!”

"You’re also not very good at this vampire thing yet," Edward said, depositing Rian on Roy and holding one hand over his bleeding neck. "You need to teach him whatever it is you do that makes the blood clot when you’re done, Mustang."

Roy hadn’t been paying attention up to the point where Rian was deposited on his lap. “You’re in a fine mood today,” Roy said. “Didn’t you get paid?”

Edward emerged from the kitchen with a hand towel pressed against his neck. “Guess,” he said sourly, and Roy sighed.

"You really need to stop taking the pro bono work," he said, keeping a firm grip on Rian. Rian growled and showed his fangs, which made Edward roll his eyes.

"Why is he acting like that?" Edward asked.

"The blood bags are expired - really expired, trust me you don’t want to see a vampire vomit old blood." Roy muttered.


	38. archetype

"The cape’s a little much," Edward tugged on the edge of the silk-lined monstrosity. It billowed out, the outside as satiny black as Roy’s hair, but the inside lined with the deepest red.

Roy frowned at himself in the mirror. “It’s in fashion,” he said, trying to ignore Edward’s form, sitting on the floor beside him and fiddling with the hem of his clothing.

"Yeah, if you’ve been dead two hundred years." Edward worried a loose thread from the hem and snapped it off. "Or if it’s October. When was this thing you went to again? Wasn’t it right before Halloween?"

"If by ‘right before’ you mean ‘August.’" Roy yanked the cape away from Edward’s hands. "Stop that."

"No, seriously, you look like you stepped off a supermarket romance novel cover," Edward said. "It’s not natural."

Roy slicked back his hair with one hand, and lifted his chin. The black of the high-collared cape did make his skin look deathly pale, he wasn’t sure he liked that. “You’ve read many of those supermarket romance novels?”

"I get bored waiting in line." Edward put his hands on the floor between his legs and huffed. "I can’t believe you’re actually going to this thing without me. What if she’s there?"

"We do have other means of communication," Roy reminded him, and undid the clasp on his cape. "But you’re right, the cape is a bit much. Where did Rian find this, anyway?"

"Probably a costume store." Edward let out a whine when Roy dumped the cape over his head, neatly obscuring his vision. He yanked it off and glared, but Roy was already back to the closet.

"That doesn’t surprise me. Do we still have that tuxedo that Miss Rockbell made me wear for that one function? Perhaps that will look better."


	39. breathe life

Rian was different.

It was a change he felt to his very core. He wasn’t human, not any more - and unlike Roy, he remembered his humanity. He remembered what it felt like to stand in the sun on a hot July day, he remembered the pain of a scraped knee and the relief of an ice-cold milkshake. Maybe that was what made the change harsher - or maybe it was just because Rian was a fundamentally different person, at his core.

Roy was … Roy. The least vampire-like vampire Edward had ever known, in the kindest terms. Calculating and manipulative - but also lazy as fuck, content to lie on the couch and let Edward sprawl on him like an overgrown puppy.

Rian, however - Rian hunted. He picked out his prey weeks in advance, tracked them and watched them as they abused and assaulted and took advantage of those less fortunate. He would kill them, drain them dry of every last drop of blood and not need to feed for days. If Edward suspected he never said a word - but Roy knew. Roy knew, and said nothing.

Edward hunted vampires like him - vampires who killed humans. It didn’t matter what humans, whether they were the scum of the earth or not, if a Breed was killing them Edward hunted them.

And yet, Rian didn’t stop. These drug dealers and peddlers, these were the people he used to fear when living on the streets, the gang leaders and the malcontents. Now that he did not need to fear them any longer, he could not stand idly by as they continued to take advantage of his people, the children of the streets.

So he hunted, and he killed, and Roy did not say a word to stop him.


	40. identity capital

"Holy shit," Roy said softly, when Edward came out of bathroom.

Edward pulled at the cuffs of his jacket, frowning. His hair was still damp, and down - the bangs melting back into the rest of his long blond hair. He looked up - there was no way he couldn’t have heard Roy unless he was specifically being ignored - and there was a spark of amusement in his golden eyes. “What do you think?” he asked, finally getting the jacket settled correctly.

Roy wet his lips. “You can’t go with Winry,” he said, his voice cracked.

Edward scoffed, amused. “Yeah, let me just call her up and tell her I can’t go because my boyfriend says no,” he said, and walked to the closet, where the full-length mirror hung. “Why don’t you tell her that, I’m sure it’ll go over well.”

It was unfair, is what it was. Roy couldn’t recall ever seeing Edward dressed up - cleaned up was rare enough as it was. Completely clean-shaven, the few days of scruff long gone - he’d come home with the suit, apparently Winry had his measurements. It was some sort of witch’s formal gathering and it was unheard of to go stag - Edward had to be bribed, but the bribe wiped his tab going forward for six months - and a lot of shit could be got up into in six months. Winry wasn’t even in the general area of fucking around, she needed Edward and was willing to give him that much.

Roy hadn’t been the least bit jealous until Edward walked out of the bathroom looking like he’d stepped off a men’s magazine cover.

He draped himself over Edward’s back, sniffing at his neck. “No,” Edward said, and put one hand over Roy’s face. “She’ll know.”


	41. blood moon

He had the moon in his bones, in his blood - he could tell the moment it rose, large and crimson on the horizon. Edward sat up in bed, laying half on a still-sleepy Roy, and turned toward the closed doors.

"Mngh," Roy grunted when Edward’s hand went into his solar plexus. "What is, it what-?"

Edward slid over him, padding naked and strangely silent across the room. Roy rubbed sleep out of his eyes and sat up on his elbows. “Ed,” he said, and yawned.

They’d laid in bed long after dusk - it wasn’t like Roy needed to eat, and besides there was little he liked more than using Edward as a living blanket - but now Edward was on his feet and drawn away. He yanked on the door to the balcony, and light spilled into the darkness - not the searing, bright light of day but the cool light of a risen moon, striking a path across the floor toward the bed. The color wasn’t right, Roy could see - and Edward stood bathed in its light, his head tilted back and eyes closed.

In the distance, they both could hear the howls.

Edward looked back behind him at Roy, his shadow cast long on the floor, his eyes golden pools behind dark lashes. He looked feral and terrifying, and Roy sat up fully. Then without a word, without blinking he shifted and in his place a large, golden wolf - who pawed the door open, stepping out to the balcony beyond.

He wasn’t leaving - Roy knew that, he never joined the others on these nights - but his head cocked back, golden fur rippling as he raised his voice with the others; singing a mournful song to the night sky.


End file.
